1st baby sun conure from 17 year pair

[Hualani]

I have a pair of Sun Conures that are 17-18 years old. The 18 year old Sun is a disabled rescue with with most of her toes missing on one foot. Someone's Macaw bit her toes off. She is the most gentle soul and loves blowing kisses and snuggling. The other Sun Conure was purchased as a companion bird at a bird show 17 years ago. I think he was newly weaned when we got him because he exhibited baby bird behavior where he would nod and sit at the bottom of the cage. Our rescue Sun would visit him and come into his cage on her own during feeding to comfort him.

I never sexed the Sun Conures and assumed both were female. They have been pals for 17 years. Then a few months ago, they both started nesting behavior out of the blue. The older one laid eggs. I thought the eggs were infertile because of the age of the birds. The first 3 clutches were infertile, but yesterday we heard an alien peep-peep.

OMG! OMG! We have a Sun hatchling with more on the way!

 

[LouieTheBird]

Congratulations on the baby

 

[texsize]

Congratulations. You're in for a lot of work.
I hope you can start preparing right away (if you haven't already).
Hand feeding formula. Scales , thermometer and a host of other things it would take too long to mention.

 

[janquito]

Awe, cute!

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[plumsmum2005]

OMG indeed. Hope your pair are good parents and will feed their young?

You need to be ready as texsize says and that means a fair bit of kit and food.

Any questions PLEASE ASK.

 

[Hualani]

Only one baby ... 4 weeks later ... He's being over stuffed by both parents. He loves attention and is very curious when I take him out. He absolutely loves head and base of beak scratched.

I did not want to disturb him and his parents by sticking cameras in the cage or handling the baby until this week.

I'll be starting hand feeding soon.

 

[Billdore]

that is so awesome!!!!! Congrats your grandparronts!!!!!!

 

[LordTriggs]

to be honest if the parents are caring for him okay I wouldn't bother hand-feeding

looking at his parents interact with you he'll learn you're a good thing, he already likes you

 

[Allee]

What a darling baby sun. Congratulations! Such a precious gift from your long time friends.

 

[Kiwibird]

What an unexpected but super sweet surprise! It's great he has good parent birds. You're very fortunate they've been willing to let you handle and socialize the baby. For an unexpected chick from pet-quality parents (pet birds rarely make good parent birds), this is an ideal scenario in every way it sounds

 

[Hualani]

to be honest if the parents are caring for him okay I wouldn't bother hand-feeding

looking at his parents interact with you he'll learn you're a good thing, he already likes you

He's too adorable and lovable not to hand-feed at least part-time. It's a way for him to interact with his humans more often. Also gives his 18 year old mom a break. I did not know that Sun Conures this old could still have chicks for the first time.

Narwhal is driving his dad nuts with all his cute chortling. Sounds like laughing. When Narwhal chortles, his dad tells Narwhal:

What.
What??
Shut it!​

​

 

[Hualani]

What an unexpected but super sweet surprise! It's great he has good parent birds. You're very fortunate they've been willing to let you handle and socialize the baby. For an unexpected chick from pet-quality parents (pet birds rarely make good parent birds), this is an ideal scenario in every way it sounds

Parents want more of their favorite calcium enriched Almond cracker treat. So they allow me to bribe them for temporary custody of Narwhal. The conversation goes like:

Narwhal: Chortle. Chortle.
Me: Awww, Narwhal, you are so adorable!
Mom & Dad: Cracker? Cracker!!
Me: OK, ok! I'll get you guys more crackers if you let me play with Narwhal.
Mom & Dad: Crackahhhhh.
Narwhal: Chortle. Squeee.

 

[Kiwibird]

When the time is right and it would not be disruptive for your little family, I think everyone would love to see some pics of the proud parents and chick together

As for the age of your female, I am unsure if female birds ever loose their ability to reproduce like female humans do. Here's a REALLY old mamma bird (66 years old and still raising chicks!):
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/1...ross-Wisdom-lays-egg-at-age-66/2811481396222/

Your male and female may have just been waiting for the right time

 

[LordTriggs]

to be honest if the parents are caring for him okay I wouldn't bother hand-feeding

looking at his parents interact with you he'll learn you're a good thing, he already likes you

He's too adorable and lovable not to hand-feed at least part-time. It's a way for him to interact with his humans more often. Also gives his 18 year old mom a break. I did not know that Sun Conures this old could still have chicks for the first time.

Narwhal is driving his dad nuts with all his cute chortling. Sounds like laughing. When Narwhal chortles, his dad tells Narwhal:

What.
What??
Shut it!​

​

ah yes a sort of co-operative feeding schedule. Something I've heard of a couple times but I believe a relatively new idea in the breeding world. Sounds like a good plan! You're right on how adorable he is, have you decided to keep him or let him light up another family's life? I know which of the 2 I would like to do

Spoiler alert: I'd keep him, he's too adorable!

 

[itzjbean]

How sweet! This is kind of what happened with my cockatiels, my pet pair who I let have babies last Spring. They were terrific at feeding (except one runt I had to pull to handfeed) and I let the parents feed all babies until weaning, but took them out to play all the time. They got very used to human touch and interaction.

 

[PickleMeDickles]

Holy Cow! Congratulations! How does it feel to be a grandparent? Are you going to give him up/part with him when he is older? I also have 2 Suns (male and female) but they have never shown any sexual interest in each other. I really don't want babies, although my husband does, but my say is final in this. However, if one "accidentally" arrived as yours did I would be out of my head with love. I think I would name him/her Surprise. Keep us updated!

 

[Hualani]

When the time is right and it would not be disruptive for your little family, I think everyone would love to see some pics of the proud parents and chick together

As for the age of your female, I am unsure if female birds ever loose their ability to reproduce like female humans do. Here's a REALLY old mamma bird (66 years old and still raising chicks!):
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/1...ross-Wisdom-lays-egg-at-age-66/2811481396222/

Your male and female may have just been waiting for the right time

I'll try to get some photos when my son is back from the hospital. The male sun conure does not like my camera or tablet. Anything dark colored that is bigger than him, he hates with a passion. The baby, on the other hand, is a born model.

 

[Hualani]

Holy Cow! Congratulations! How does it feel to be a grandparent? Are you going to give him up/part with him when he is older? I also have 2 Suns (male and female) but they have never shown any sexual interest in each other. I really don't want babies, although my husband does, but my say is final in this. However, if one "accidentally" arrived as yours did I would be out of my head with love. I think I would name him/her Surprise. Keep us updated!

My son loves Narwhal, the baby sun. He named him Narwhal because the baby sun kind of look like a baby whale with a little whitish beak/horn when it was about a week old. The parents had only 1 baby to feed, and over stuffed him. I was wondering if Narwhal was going to burst from being over stuffed.

It's up to my son if he wants the long term responsibility of a loud bird companion that can live over 20 years.

As for being a grandparrot, I am still gushing over the baby bird like a typical grandparent. Honestly, was not expect this cute bundle of feathers and chortles. Narwhal makes a cute chee-chee-chee-chee chortle which I think his mom taught him. She would sing to her eggs in the same pitch as Narwhal.

 

[janquito]

What an unexpected but super sweet surprise! It's great he has good parent birds. You're very fortunate they've been willing to let you handle and socialize the baby. For an unexpected chick from pet-quality parents (pet birds rarely make good parent birds), this is an ideal scenario in every way it sounds

Pet birds rarely make good parents? I didn't know that. Why, do you suppose that is?

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[LordTriggs]

What an unexpected but super sweet surprise! It's great he has good parent birds. You're very fortunate they've been willing to let you handle and socialize the baby. For an unexpected chick from pet-quality parents (pet birds rarely make good parent birds), this is an ideal scenario in every way it sounds

Pet birds rarely make good parents? I didn't know that. Why, do you suppose that is?

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Often pet birds are hand-fed very early on so a lot don't understand how to look after baby. Although saying that a bird bred from pets that interact with their owners well are more likely to be open to humans than one bred from birds that hate people. You learn from your parents what's safe after all and if your parents say something is scary then you'll be fearful, whilst the things they say are safe you're more likely to be okay with it!